Barred from entering mosques for Jummah prayers: Kashmiris in Srinagar
Last updated on: 16 August,2019 08:25 pm
Indian forces shut Jamia Masjid mosque in Srinagar by placing armed vehicle outside it.
SRINAGAR (Reuters) - Kashmir residents in Srinagar said they were being barred from entering mosques on Friday (August 16), as the Indian government continued its clampdown over the region.
Kashmir has been on lockdown for the past 12 day, with authorities cutting internet and phone links, setting up numerous roadblocks and detaining more than 500 local leaders and activists after stripping the Muslim majority region of its special status.
Jamia Masjid Mosque in Srinagar, the largest city in India’s Jammu and Kashmir state, was seen shut on Friday morning, with an armed vehicle outside. Shops remained closed and many streets were noticeably empty.
"This is Friday. They are not allowing us to enter the mosque and pray, which is why we are we facing a lot of problems. This is a matter of religion so they should not have done this," Srinagar resident Bashir Ahmed said, ahead of weekly Friday prayers.
The Indian government’s decision to revoke Kashmir of its special status has been met with controversy and shook its already fragile relationship with Pakistan, which cut trade and transport links and expelled India’s envoy in retaliation.
Last Friday (August 9), Indian police used tear gas and pellets to disperse protesters in Srinagar.